FicWad

Lexi watched from the counter as Freeda washed a dish, Heather standing there with a solemn look on her face.

"I still can't believe you did that, Heather," Freeda whispered. Lexi bit her lip, knowing that the rest of the gang including many others were in the next room over. Heather sighed, breaking her thoughts.

"I don't know what I was going to do..." she whispered and Lexi gulped. She admitted and Lexi gulped, hearing the clicking of heels behind her.

"Hey girls," she closed her eyes at Aloe's voice and heard Freeda clear her throat.

"Hey Aloe," she mumbled back. The girls stayed silent for a moment until Lexi let out a sigh, the loud screech of her chair on the tile echoing in the room.

"Freeda? Do you have any liquor?" she asked and Freeda looked taken back.

"But...for god's sake Lexi, I'm not letting you fall down that hole again," Heather looked scared slightly but nudged Freeda.

"Just let her..." she whispered and Freeda shrugged, pouring Lexi a glass of whisky.

Lexi nodded and thanked her silently before slipping through the living room, passed multiple guests and out into the courtyard of the funeral home where they were currently at, just fresh from the burial of Robert.

She sighed, looking up at the bright sky and shaking her head before taking another long sip of the throat burning liquid. Shuffled footsteps came from behind her and she turned her head to see a troubled yet solemn looking Joe, shaking his head as he looked out as well.

"Well isn't this a secret place," he mumbled and Lexi lightly smirked before observing his hand as it reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He shook one out for himself and pointed it in her direction, offering.

"Why not?" Lexi mumbled and took one, letting Joe's lighter start the fuse of the cancer stick. She inhaled deeply and the two stood silent, just leaning over the balcony watching as the clouds moved through the windy air that mid August day.

"You ever wonder what I'd be like if you never met us?" Joe asked and Lexi turned to him.

"What?" she asked and Joe shrugged.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened to your life if Pete never found you girls?" he asked again and Lexi turned her head back towards the sky.

"I'm thinking I might just not be here...meaning...I might have been dead," Joe studied her profile.

"Why do you say that?" Lexi bit her lip.

"I was a very troubled person before I let Pete change me," Joe nodded, slightly understanding and looked back up at the clouds. Lexi turned her head to him.

"What about you?" she asked and Joe shrugged.

"Id' be a hell of a lot lonelier...even if Aloe turned out to be a slut," Lexi let a smirk escape her lips. Joe sighed. "Just...things wouldn't be as great," Lexi creased her eye brows together.

"What to you mean?" she asked and Joe sighed, turning her head towards hers again.

"I mean that just because we are in a rut right now, doesn't mean it's going to last. It only lasts if we let it...I mean..." he paused to put out his cigarette. "Would you ever give Pete another chance?" he asked and Lexi parted to respond, but closed her mouth again, looking down at the ice in her glass.

"I don't know..." she whispered and Joe shook his head.

"You would, Lexi, because you did it before...you guys have experienced everything together, even death. And now the one thing that has ever really bonded you other than engagement or /sex/," Joe paused and let Lexi bite her lip. "Now that Robert's gone..." Lexi turned towards him and answered it for herself.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself," Joe sighed and looked down at the pack of cigarettes. He shifted them over to her and she sighed, taking them.

"I need it, Joe," she mumbled and he smirked.

"I do too," he said and turned to leave.

"Joe," Lexi called and he turned to catch her line of vision.

"Yeah?" he asked and Lexi smiled.

"Thank you for being strong,"

----------

Pete sat quietly on the middle cushion of the white-washed couch. His hands were clasped between his legs and his eyes were glazed over as he aimlessly stared at the blank, white, wall in front of him. His mouth was slightly parted and his breaths were shallow. The hushed chatter in the other room was blocked off with his mind in deep thought. One slip up was all it took.

One slip up, and everything went to hell.

He sniffled a little, wiping his nose on his black suit, but refused to cry. He was sick of crying. All it ever did was show weakness, and could never fix a thing.

Boys don't cry.

"Hey," a hand was placed on his shoulder, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Aloe's sympathetic face. He shrugged her hand off, and ignored her. She was the last person he wanted to see.

"I'm sorry," she said, moving around the couch and taking a seat next to him. He scooted over, close to the arm of the couch. "Really, I am Pete."

"Hm," was his reply. She sighed and scooted closer to him.

"C'mon, don't be like this." Pete felt sudden heat around his ears. He bit his tongue. "I can make it better," she placed her hand on his upper thigh. Pete quickly stood up, making her hand retreat back to her own lap. She looked at him wide eyed as he began to fume.

"My son just died Aloe," his face was in disbelief of what kind of dirty thoughts were going through her head. "Don't you get that?"

She nodded. "I do. I just want to help-"

"I don't want your help," he quickly cut in, walking towards the door.

"Pete..." she pleaded, standing up and grabbing him by the shoulder.

Pete turned around, now annoyed. "Obviously, you don't get anything Aloe!"

Aloe bit her lip, not from fear, but from getting somewhat turned on by his anger. She took a step towards him.

"Calm down Pete," her voice was calm and seductive. She placed her hands on his shoulders, cocking her hips to one side. "You're getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"Over nothing? Over nothing!" He pushed her away in disgust. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have your world be at the peak of perfection, and then ripped away from you?" He pointed to the window, his head moving with his words. "To have the one person that puts up with all the bullshit, leave? To have the one thing that resembles the love between two people, suddenly die? To have almost everything, then within a matter of seconds, nothing?" Aloe opened her mouth to respond, but he quickly cut her off. "No you don't, so don't even say you do."

Aloe's eyes ceased together and her jaw dropped in bewilderment.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" She yelled. "To loose my boyfriend. My best friend?" Pete laughed at the poor comparison.

"Some best friend you are," he spat. "Sleeping around with their fiancé. What the fuck was I thinking?"

"Well it takes two to tango Pete," she fired back. "I do recall, you came to ME, with your sob story of how you aren't ready to be a father or a husband."

Pete clenched his fists tightly. She was right, but he was too stubborn to be defeated. He took a step menacingly towards her making her take one back. He shook his head.

"You know what," he whispered, "I'm done."

"What?" The words croaked out of her mouth.

"You heard me," his voice raised. "I'm done with this," he pointed at her, narrowing his eyes. "I'm done /with you/."

----------

Lexi let the grass tickle her knees as her dress rode up, her already tired body falling to kneel in front of her son's grave. Her soft hands lightly ran over the grave, her eyes so tired of crying, so instead she breathed out, words barely escaping her lips.

"I don't know what I'm going to do..." she whispered and closed her eyes, only for them to snap open again at the sound of a foot crackling a few dead leaves on the ground.

"God damnit, I hate it when my identity is revealed..." the voice mumbled and Lexi turned her head in time for a familiar lanky figure to drop down next to her, a smile on his lips.

"William!" Lexi practically squealed and wrapped her arms around his elongated torso, letting her head bury into his chest.

"Missed you too, Lexi," he whispered. Lexi tilted her head up and smiled. "And that smile," Lexi let her smile grow and laughed as William rocked her slightly.

"I feel a thousand times better now," she whispered and William nodded, holding her close again, letting his eyes look over the grave.

"I'm so sorry about everything, Lex," he said after a while. Lexi sighed, leaning back and shrugging.

"It's inevitable. I just wish things didn't have to happen like this," William studied her solemn face as she looked away, glancing down at her son's grave. "I just wish they didn't have to take my Robert away," she whispered and William let his hand attach to her cheek, wiping the escaping her blue eyes away. Her breath skipped with a teary gasp and shook her head.

"Lexi, you need time. That's all," he spoke so softly it was hard for Lexi to argue. She nodded.

"Ok," she whispered. "Can you take me home?" William raised an eyebrow.

"Which home?" he asked and Lexi swallowed.

"I'm staying with Freeda," she mumbled and he nodded, gripping her hand and helping her up.

They stood there for a while before William tugged on her arm, pulling her into another hug. Lexi had to step on her tippy-toes to wrap her arms around his neck, but it was worth it.

William had the best hugs.

----------

From a distance as Pete thought he could see his son's grave in peace, he stopped, seeing Lexi embraced in a hug from no one other than William.

"I'm such a loser," Pete mumbled and turned away, walking down the hill towards the parking lot. "And don't deserve another stupid chance..."